Term 1, Week 10 Newsletter - 4th April 2025

From The Principal

Dear Parents, Carers, Community Members and Parishioners, 

As we reach the end of Term 1, it’s a wonderful time to pause and reflect on all the growth, learning and memorable moments we’ve shared here at St Joseph’s. From classroom achievements to whole-school events, it’s been a busy and joy-filled term.

With Easter just around the corner, we are reminded of the incredible sacrifice Jesus made and the hope that comes with His resurrection. Easter is a time of renewal and fresh beginnings – may this season bring peace, joy and blessings to you and your loved ones.

I would like to sincerely thank you for your continued support and the trust you place in our school. Your involvement in your child’s learning journey makes a world of difference, and we are truly grateful for our strong school-family partnerships.

Important Dates – End of Term & Start of Term 2

• • Last Day of Term 1 – Thursday, 3rd April 2025

  • First Day of Term 2 – Tuesday, 22nd April 2025
    

  • Prep–Year 2 Cross Country – Thursday, 24th April 2025

  • ANZAC Day Public Holiday – Friday, 25th April 2025 (Week 1, Term 2 – no school)
  • Pupil Free Day – Friday, 2nd May 2025 (No supervision will be available on this day)
  • Labour Day Public Holiday – Monday, 5th May 2025 (Week 3, Term 2 – no school)

We hope the Easter break provides your family with time to rest, reconnect, and enjoy one another’s company. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for another great term.

Cross Country Update

Today, we enjoyed our Years 3–6 Cross Country. It was great to see the school come together with our Prep-2's cheering the students on and student's demonstrating their best. The spirit, community and faith that all demonstrated today was a joy to see.

Our Prep–Year 2 students will have their Cross Country event on Thursday, 24th April (Week 2, Term 2).

Thank you Miss Tahlia Bird for organising her our Cross Country.

My New Gallery

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Staffing News

This term, we’re saying farewell (but not goodbye) to a few valued members of our teaching team:

• Jocelyn Norton-Smith will be stepping away from her classroom role but will thankfully remain part of our school in a relief teaching capacity – and of course, as a parent in our community. Jocelyn, we are so grateful for your creativity, energy, and the passion you brought to the Arts and Languages. You will be dearly missed in the classroom.

• Anna Taufa will also be leaving us to take up an exciting opportunity in Inclusion at Spinifex Junior Campus. While we’re sad to see her go, we’re so proud of Anna’s next step and thank her for everything she’s brought to St Joseph’s. Anna has shared how much our school means to her – and we know we’ll see her around town!

• Carrie Kiernan, who generously stepped in this term to support the school, is finishing her time with us in a formal capacity. Carrie, your presence and willingness to help have meant so much – thank you for being part of the St Joseph’s family.

Car Park Progress

As shared previously, we’ve begun reviewing and planning upgrades to our car park. We are currently in the design phase, with architects, Mount Isa City Council and the Townsville Catholic Education Office all contributing feedback.

While we work towards finalising a concept to share with you, we are also aiming to patch the potholes during the holiday break to ensure smooth pick-up and drop-off when we return in Term 2. Thanks for your patience and support as we improve this space.

Celebrating Student Success

Last week, the Queensland School Sport Swimming State Championships were held at Chandler in Brisbane – an event that brings together the best swimmers from across 12 regions of our state.

We’re incredibly proud of Arrun Poch, who represented the North West Region, Mount Isa, and our St Joseph’s community in a number of individual events and relays. This is an outstanding achievement, and we can’t wait to see where your sporting journey takes you next, Arrun – congratulations!

As we wrap up Term 1, we wish all our families a safe, joyful, and blessed Easter. Thank you for being part of our St Joseph’s community – we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another great term of learning and growing together.

Scott Murray,
Principal

Education in Faith

Sacramental Program

I would like to acknowledge the following students who are currently participating in the Sacramental Program. They will be making their Confirmation on Tuesday, 22nd April. Please keep them in your prayers as they take this important step in their faith journey.

Stations of the Cross

This Wednesday, 2nd April, our Year 3 students will lead us in the Stations of the Cross liturgy. We warmly invite all families to join us for this special reflection, which will begin at 2:00 pm. in the Penola Centre.

Final Assembly

We will have our final assembly on Thursday at 2:30 pm. Parents can then collect students from the Penola to go home after our final bell rings for the term. At the end of our assembly, we will also be drawing our Easter Egg Raffle and Guess the Easter Egg competition.

Project Compassion 

St Joseph’s has seen such a generous contribution to our Project Compassion fundraisers this year! Thank you so much to all of our families who have helped to support our Project Compassion campaign! We still have one final ‘Guess the Easter egg’ fundraiser to go! The Easter Egg Raffle and the Guess the Easter Eggs will be drawn on Thursday at our final assembly. 

Please also don’t forget to bring back your project compassion boxes, which are to be collected before the end of the term.

Harmony Day - Family Picnic

On Friday, March 21st, we held our Harmony Day Family Picnic. It was a joy to see our students adorned in orange

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ALPHA Course

Good Shepherd Parish is running a course in Christianity called ALPHA. It can help people to understand the ways of Jesus. It is being held on a Tuesday from 6pm to 8pm with dinner included. It begins on 29th April. The parish office has forms and info about it for signing up or asking questions. Please consider this opportunity to share our faith and ask any questions.

St Joseph the Worker Feast Day

We will celebrate our St Joseph the Worker Feast Day with a liturgy on Thursday, 1st May, at 8:40 a.m. All are welcome to join us in the Penola Centre for this special celebration.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Sunday 13th April - Palm Sunday
• Thursday 17th April - Holy Thursday
• Friday 18th April - Good Friday 
• Sunday 20th April - Easter Sunday
• Tuesday April 22nd - Confirmation
• Thursday April 24th - ANZAC Liturgy 2pm
• Thursday May 1st - St Joseph The Worker Feast Day
• Sunday May 18th - Jangawala Service

Tenielle Blanco,
APRE

Foundations in Education

As Term 1 comes to a close, we reflect on the incredible journey of learning, growth, and connection that has taken place within our Joey’s community. This term has been a testament to the power of collaboration, with students, staff, and families working together to create an engaging and supportive learning environment. Your commitment has truly brought our school values Love, Learn, and Serve to life in meaningful ways.

From the very start of the term, teachers and students set meaningful goals, working in partnership to drive learning forward. Through learning conferences, students took ownership of their progress, reflecting on their achievements and setting clear next steps. Their commitment to growth was evident in every classroom, with a strong focus on building confidence and fostering a love of learning.

In preparation for NAPLAN, students demonstrated resilience and determination, embracing the challenge with a positive mindset. Weekly bootcamps, along with the dedication of teachers, helped students feel well-prepared, turning what can be a daunting experience into an opportunity for growth. We look forward to celebrating their efforts when the results are released later in the year.

This term also saw exciting new learning initiatives take shape. The introduction of Spelling Mastery in Years 3-6 and Little Learners Love Literacy in P-2 has strengthened students' literacy skills, setting them up for long-term success. The joy of reading was further nurtured through our annual Book Fair, which brought books to life and inspired a love of reading among students. Meanwhile, programs such as Team Up and Life Education supported students' well-being, resilience, and healthy habits, enriching their learning beyond the classroom.

Family engagement remained at the heart of our school community, with events designed to bring students, teachers, and families together. Our Learning Breakfasts provided a warm and welcoming space for families to share in their child’s education, reinforcing the importance of lifelong learning. Additionally, our Meet and Greet BBQ was a wonderful opportunity for families, staff, and students to connect, strengthening the bonds that make our school such a special place.

As we wrap up Term 1, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our students, staff, and families for their dedication, enthusiasm, and support. It has been a term filled with achievements, collaboration, and growth, and we look forward to an exciting Term 2 ahead.

Wishing you all a safe, holy, and restful Easter break.

Prep Vision Screening

The Prep Vision Screener will take place in Term 2, Week 2. This is an important opportunity to check your child’s vision and support their learning journey.

Please ensure you return your child’s consent form before the screening. For more details, see the attached flyer.

ANZAC Day

This year we will be participating in Mount Isa City's annual ANZAC Day celebrations. We invite students and families to join us in this day of commemoration at any of the following: 

• Dawn Service - 6am (meet from 5:30am in front of the Civic Centre)
• ANZAC Day Mass - 7:30 am at Good Shepherd Parish Church
• ANZAC Day March - meet at 9am in the Isa Street Bridge for a 9:30am start

We will also host our ANZAC Day liturgy Wednesday 24th April at 2:00pm in the Penola Centre. I have attached a letter with further information for your perusal. 

Warm regards,

Karlia Ryan,
APPL

Sport @ Joeys

League Tag Gala Day 

In Week 7, a team of Year 6 students participated in the League Tag Gala Day. The students had a great time as they competed against teams from other schools. They all put in an amazing effort on the day and showed great teamwork, skill and sportsmanship in each of their games. The staff that attended were very proud of their efforts.

MISSA Sport 

This term, we have had a number of students attend the District trials for a range of different sports including swimming, netball, rugby league and basketball. All students who attended represented our school very well and showed great sportsmanship. 

Congratulations to the following students who were selected for Mount Isa district teams

Swimming: Sienna M, Flynn P, Arrun P

Netball: Abbie P, Sienna M, Ada O (shadow) 

Rugby League: Jahquin D

Basketball: Charlie S, Myki N

More District trials will happen next term for different sports. 

Northwest Sport

Students who were selected for the Mount Isa district teams went on to the North West regional trials. The swimmers headed to Barcaldine, and the netballers headed to Hughenden, while the rugby league players and basketballers will attend their North West trial in Term 2 in Cloncurry and Mount Isa respectively. 

Congratulations to Arrun P, who was selected to represent the North West region at the Swimming State Championships that occurred in March. 

Tahlia Bird,
Specialist Teacher - PE

Community News

Time to Shine is back for 2025

Registrations are now open through the College Website.
 https://www.goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au/parents/time-to-shine/

The booking form will close for both weeks on Tuesday 6 May.